Pro-Bending Prompts
by KidWolff
Summary: Submissions for the Pro-Bending Circuit run by alyssialui. A story will be submitted every two weeks. Mostly LOK. Team: Laogai Lion Vultures. Position: Earthbender. Check the rules and standings and stuff here: www.fanfiction . net /forum/ Pro-bending-Circuit/164505/
1. Round 1 - Returns

**A/N: This is my story for the Pro-Bending Circuit round 1. Characters include Korra and Asami. Not your typical "Korra tries to pull Asami away from work".**

 **Team: Laogai Lion Vultures**

 **Earthbender: Someone returning to their lover after a misunderstanding**

 **Prompts:**

 **Easy (1 point):** **(word) favourite**

 **Medium (2 points):** **(smell) jasmine**

 **Hard (3 points):** **(song) A Thousand Years by Christina Perri**

 **Bonus Points: ****Include your element in your fic. It does not have to be bent but the element must be plot-relevant - 3 points**

 **Word Count: 2307**

* * *

 _"Hard Work Doesn't Always Pay Off"_

* * *

Asami scribbled frantically with her pencil, signing off on papers one by one. She heard the door creak open, but chose to ignore it. Slowly, quiet footsteps tiptoed to her desk. In the back of her mind, Asami wanted to scold the intruder. It would be no good, though. The person slowly pushed away her nameplate and other materials to the side. The intruder then slid onto the desk on her back and popped her face in front of Asami's.

Asami sighed. "Hello, Korra."

The Avatar smiled. "Hi, Asami."

"What do you want this time?"

"You know what I want!" Korra announced, hopping off of her back, yet still sitting on top of the papers. "You're working too much again, and I'm here to sweep you off of your feet!"

Asami couldn't help but to chuckle at her girlfriend's display. Then she lean back into her seat and crossed her arms. "And just how are you going to do that?"

Korra paused, then looked down at herself, realizing she hadn't brought food or pro-bending tickets, which were the usual things that distracted Asami from her work. Then the Avatar smiled and flexed her arms proudly. She smirked and rose a brow comically at the CEO.

At this point, Asami couldn't help but to laugh out loud. "Sweetie, I really do appreciate the thought, but I can't leave work just yet. I'm on a tight schedule this week before the new exhibition."

Korra frowned and immediately dropped her arms. Asami stood up and grabbed her by the chin before planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "I promise I'll try to be home at a decent time this evening, though, just for you." She whispered in her ear.

Korra instantly turned red and Asami knew she had achieved what she wanted. The CEO then walked around the desk and proceeded towards the exit.

"H-Hey, where are you going?" Korra asked, still quite red.

Asami turned and smirked at her. "I'm headed to the factory. I've gotten reports that are showing less productivity, so I'm going to go check it out myself."

Korra's redness was slowly letting up. "Can I come with you?" She asked, hopping off of the desk.

Asami rose a brow. "You want to come with me to do work?" Korra nodded. Asami sighed. "Okay, but no funny business."

Korra smiled. "Promise."

* * *

Korra scanned the factory in awe. Pipes went from wall to wall above them. Conveyer belts rolled from room to room. Workers hurried to apply parts to the objects rolling past them. Every time she came here, it appalled her that her girlfriend helped create all of this. She almost walked into her girlfriend when she stopped to talk to the lead engineer. She quietly listened to their conversation about the piping being a problem recently.

Asami frowned at the mention of the pipes. It was one of the main sources that provided fuel to the machinery.

"I think it's a leak, but I didn't want to proceed until you knew about it at least." The engineer explained politely.

Asami nodded. "Thank you. You did the right thing. Let's go have a look." The CEO then turned to her girlfriend. "Can you wait here for a minute, Kor? I'm just gonna go check out a few things in the back."

Korra nodded mindlessly as she glanced around. She didn't quite understand the math and science behind all of the machinery, but she tried to learn sometimes. It always surprised Asami when Korra actually understood something about what she was talking about.

A few of the friendlier workers greeted the Avatar, who happily waved in return. She wandered over to where one man was screwing bolts into some piping on the wall. "So do you know what's going on with the piping?"

The man rose a brow and turned around. "Eh? Why, hello Avatar Korra. Well, I don't know the whole situation. I'm just trying to make sure nothing falls apart until we find a more permanent solution."

Korra peered over his shoulder to see that he was replacing old screws. "So you don't know why?"

"Nope, but if we don't do something soon, we could have an accident on our hands." He replied.

Korra scowled, not liking the sound of that. She couldn't do anything to help, though, not without Asami's approval first anyway. Last time she tried helping out, Asami nearly lost her mind in fear that she would cause a careless accident.

"Well, keep up the good work." Korra answered. She wandered around some more, watching the workers do all sorts of crazy science to create Asami's inventions. It didn't take long for her to get bored again, however. Asami was gone much longer than a few minutes. Korra retreated to sitting on a crate until her girlfriend returned.

A few minutes passed with the dull sound of machinery in the background. Korra took out a piece of meteorite that Su had given her. It would always settle her down when she was stressed or bored. She began making small shapes with the metal. She was starting to relax a little when suddenly a loud hiss shot from the pipes and workers yelled in panic. Korra quickly tucked away the meteorite and ran over to help.

Korra saw the mechanic from earlier trying to tighten some bolts with a few other men frantically. Some workers watched, while many others backed up in fear that it would blow. The Avatar quickly pushed her way through the men. Steam continued to erupt from the seams of the metal piping. "What happened?!"

"I don't know! It just started spewing randomly! Gah!" The man answered, continuing to stop the steam.

Korra was about to step up to help, but was stopped by a creaking sound above her. She froze and looked up. Men were already running away. A large section of pipe on the ceiling was about to cave in. She growled before ramming her fists into the air. The floor rose according to her will and a slab of earth shot up to catch the piping. It still creaked and groaned and liquid was seeping through, but it would hold until they could fix it. As she looked back at the men screwing the bolts, the pressure of the steam suddenly magnified. The force of it sent the piece of pipe right towards the Avatar. Korra mindlessly pulled a metal fragment from the conveyor belt and caught it, then use the metal fragment to push the pipe back in place and mold it into the wall. The men thanked her as she secured it back to the rest of the fuel system.

Just as she was wiping the sweat from her forehead, the control room door slammed open. "What in the world is going on out here?!" Asami's eyes then widened at the sight of her factory. A giant slab of earth was keeping up a broken piece of the system. A fragment of her conveyor belt was stuck to the wall, holding up another piece of the pipe system. Her workers looked panicked. Her girlfriend stood in the middle of them. A bit of sweat was starting to appear on her face. "Korra, what happened?!"

Korra gulped at the sight of her girlfriend's anger. "Asami, it was an accident. I-I…"

Asami's anger hadn't dissipated and she grabbed Korra by the ear. "Every time I bring you to the factory, something goes wrong." She walked until she had dragged Korra outside. "I have to stop bringing you here."

"Asami, I didn't!"

"Korra, you need to just go home." Asami ordered.

Korra went wide-eyed. "I was just trying to help."

Asami sighed roughly and ran a hand through her hair. "I need to get a clean-up crew in here ASAP before it gets worse. I'm gonna be stuck here all evening now."

"Let me help."

"No! This is delicate work. Just let me take care of this."

Korra's breath hitched. Her words struck a cord somewhere in her heart. Without another word, she turned around and began to trek home.

* * *

Korra juggled the ball between her hands before dropping it and earthbending it across the backyard. Naga barked and dashed after it. Korra sighed and sat on the steps. 'Delicate work, psh! What does she mean I can't be delicate? I'm delicate with her all of the time! She wouldn't even listen to me…'

She sat there, stuck with her thoughts until she heard the back door open. She didn't bother looking up. Her guest sat down beside her and, after a moment, pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry."

Korra sighed and mumbled into her shoulder. "It's okay."

Asami pulled away and held her cheeks. "It's not okay. I should've listened to you first before pushing you out."

"At least no one got hurt."

"And that's thanks to you! The workers told me what happened and that everything would've collapsed if it wasn't for you."

Korra didn't respond, just fell back into Asami's embrace eagerly. Asami brushed the girl's hair with her fingers, enjoying the quiet moment underneath the stars. "Let me make it up to you."

Korra rose a brow up at her. "How's that?"

Asami smiled down at her gently and pulled her up. "C'mon, I'll show you."

Korra didn't bother arguing and let her girlfriend pull her inside. Once they made it to the living room, Asami ushered the Avatar to sit down. Korra blinked when she noticed two carry-out boxes and a few DVDs.

"Oh, I forgot the tea!" Asami exclaimed and ran into the kitchen. The sound of a screaming kettle could be heard.

The CEO returned and handed Korra a mug. The Avatar brought it to her face and took a sip. The scent of jasmine made her smile return slowly. "Thank you."

Asami blinked in surprise, then abruptly brought her back into a hug. "I should be thanking you. If it hadn't been for you, today could have been much worse than it was."

"Well, how about we move on now that we've thanked each other." Korra joked.

Asami giggled and nodded before taking a sip of her own tea. "I picked up a few movies. I didn't know what you'd be in the mood for."

Korra began fiddling through the cases. She stopped at one and began laughing loudly. "You grabbed this?!"

In her hand was the last movie to the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn 2. Asami chuckled. "I know how much you _love_ Twilight."

Korra could only laugh some more. "'Sami, I hate Twilight."

"I know, but isn't the last movie your _favorite_."

"Yeah, because it's the end!" Korra covered her face to stop the laughing. "But I do love all of the fighting in the last movie. That was the only good thing about it. That, and there's that one guy who can bend the elements. I wonder where they got _that_ idea from." Korra said, wiggling her eyebrows at her girlfriend.

Asami waved her off. "Oh please. Don't act like you didn't like that idea. I suggested it just for you."

"Yeah, yeah." Korra replied, just now opening her box of food. "I guess we can watch this then."

Asami smiled and took the case from her to pop it into the television. For the beginning of the movie, they ate their dinners. About half way through, Asami reached over the back of the couch and pulled the comforter down. Korra eagerly crawled into her grasp. Laying together, the couple finished watching the movie.

Asami watched the screen as the vampires said their goodbyes for the last time after the final fight. As the credits started rolling, a faint snore arose from below her chin. She looked down to see Korra fast asleep in her lap.

She began thinking back to all they had been through together. She found it hard to believe they hated each other in the beginning, but things had a way of working out in the end.

 _How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?  
But watching you stand alone,  
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow._

In some ways, she always admired Korra. The girl was so strong and passionate about what she believed in. Asami watched her over and over again fight against enemies who wanted to hurt her or the people she loved. She watched the Avatar give herself up for the Air Nation. She watched the Avatar almost die. She helped the Avatar continue life after she was paralyzed. She sadly let go of the Avatar, who then disappeared for three years. If she had known it would take that long, she would have gone with her.

 _I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

She waited so long for the Avatar to return to her. To the world, she was the Avatar. But to Asami, she was Korra, and she loved Korra more than anything in the world. And when everything settled down and they finally had a chance to talk in the Spirit World, she knew things would be okay for them.

 _And all along I believed I would find you  
Time has brought your heart to me_

 _I have loved you for a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

Asami carefully leaned down and placed a chaste kiss to Korra's forehead. "I love you, Korra. I'll never let you go."

Asami slowly rubbed the girl's arm to help her sleep better. She sighed and laid her head on the pillow, ready to follow her example to sleep. However, a hand gently grabbed hers. She heard Korra hum happily to herself before sleepily answering her. "I love you too, Asami."


	2. Round 2 - Chess

**A/N: Submission for round 2 of the pro-bending circuit. Pema helps Tenzin after a stressful day of meetings.** **Team: Laogai Lion Vultures. Position: Earthbender.**

 **Prompts:**

 **Bishop** \- A bishop is placed next to the King and Queen and moves diagonally. Task: _Write about someone who is close to a leader or important figure._

 **Easy (1 point): (object) clock**

 **Medium (2 points): (smell) incense**

 **Hard (3 points): (quote) In life, as in chess, forethought wins. - Charles Buxton**

 **Word Count : 880**

* * *

 _"_ _Wife Knows Best"_

* * *

The air acolyte sighed at the crashing sound down the hall. She continued washing the dishes from dinner as her kids ran amuck. She glanced at the clock when she noticed the setting Sun. Her concern for her husband grew. She finished the dishes and wandered towards the noises of destruction. Her two middle children were wrestling in the dirt, while her oldest was on the porch reading a book with the youngest of them in her lap.

"Kids? Has anyone seen your father?"

Meelo paused to respond, but then Ikki shoved him to the ground. "Ow!"

"I saw Dad grumbling through the halls earlier. I think he's in his study." Jinora replied shortly from behind the book.

Pema scowled. "He didn't even come eat dinner." She sighed again as the other two continued to wrestle. "Go get ready for your baths!" The children groaned and disappeared inside.

The air acolyte followed them, greeting other airbenders on her way to find her husband. As she approached the man's study, she heard quiet grumbling. She giggled and slid open the door. "Sweetie, is everything okay?" She asked gently.

The incense of Desert Sage was slowly burning out in the corner of the room. The airbending master was hunched over tiredly in a meditation pose. He glanced behind him and motioned his wife to sit with him. "Oh, nothing new. It's just these meetings with the president seem futile."

She quietly chuckled and held his hands. "So I've heard."

"The man is just so…insufferable! It's like he's doing everything to halt progress with anything." Tenzin complained. He began rubbing his forehead to get rid of his headache.

Pema smiled at him with a brow raised. "Is that the best you got? I've heard much worse things about him from Korra."

Tenzin chuckled. "That woman could go on forever about how awful President Raiko is. However, I can't say I blame her. They have never really been on good terms."

Pema started rubbing her thumbs into his palms. "Maybe you should let some of it out, too. I can tell you're stressed since the first thing you did when you arrived back was hide away in here."

Tenzin jumped up in slight panic. "O-Oh! Did I miss dinner? I'm so sorry, sweetie. I just lost track of time. I though meditating would help."

"And did it help?" The airbender frowned and looked away. "You know, in life, as in chess, forethought wins. I think you need a better plan than just mediating with the president."

Tenzin huffed. "Korra already has the intimidation down and the president still doesn't budge. I have to be the calm, steady person to facilitate them."

"Speaking of Korra…" His wife simply pulled him to his feet. "C'mon. I have an idea."

Tenzin rose a brow at first as his wife pulled him out of the room, then he chuckled happily and followed her outside. The woman carefully led them to the cliffside by Korra's favorite meditation gazebo. The Sun was nearly set. A faint line of pink and orange fizzed out on the horizon.

"Pema, hun, what are we doing out here?"

The air acolyte smiled and motioned to the ocean before them. "I want you to release some of your stress out here. Practicing your airbending might do just that."

Tenzin gaze out at the water in thought. "I don't know. This seems like something Korra would do."

"Yes, but do you see her still stressed out afterwards? No. It's worth a shot, Tenzin."

The airbender sighed and stepped forward. Pema leaned against the gazebo to watch. The man hesitated at first, simply drawing out a weak gust of wind. He looked back at his wife, who eagerly motioned him to continue.

He huffed before getting into a more serious pose and propelled a powerful wind out into the water. He continued the motion to form more gusts of wind. Pema smiled behind him as he switched forms smoothly.

A smile crept up onto Tenzin's face, which he hadn't even realized. He happily continued shooting balls of air out into the openness of the ocean. He felt himself starting to sweat and paused to take a breath. He glanced back at his wife, who was beaming brightly. She nodded her approval and went to hug him.

He laughed and swung her in the air. Pema giggled as she was lifted off of the ground. He carefully set her on her feet again after a minute and let out a happy sigh. "Surprisingly, I feel a lot better now. Now I understand why Korra works out so much."

Pema grabbed his hand and began walking back to the temple. "Then you should do it more often when you get stressed out."

Tenzin chuckled and swung an arm over her shoulder to pull her closer. "I will try, dear."

As they approach the hallway, they heard giggles nearby. The couple looked around and saw four heads disappear from around the corner. The duo glanced at each other curiously. Then the airbender, suddenly feeling young again, swooped up his wife in his arms and airbended a ball to fly around on.

Their children screamed giddily and dashed back towards the dorms. The family laughed as they raced down the halls.


	3. Round 3 - Colors

**A/N: My submission for Pro-bending Round 3.** **Korra and Asami after a bad day.** **Team: Laogai Lion Vultures. Position: Earthbender.**

 **Color prompts: [** These themes can be used in any way you see fit (eg. as words, in dialogue, emotions, themes for the overall story), but it must be obvious.]

 **Red – determination**

 **Blue - sadness**

 **White - pure**

 **Regular Prompts** **:**

 **Easy (1 point): clear**

 **Medium (2 points): alcohol**

 **Hard (3 points): tragedy**

[1. a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster:

2\. a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically involving a great person destined to experience downfall or utter destruction, as through a character flaw or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or an unyielding society.]

 **Bonus Points:**

Include your element in your fic. It does not have to be bent but the element _must_ be plot-relevant - 3 points

Include your team's animal in your fic. They _must_ be plot relevant - 3 points.

 **Word Count: 2427**

* * *

 _"_ _The Colors of Peril"_

* * *

When the Avatar wasn't training, she spent most days listening to the radio in an attempt to get news that the city needed her once again. Lin refused to call her for most basic things and Mako was given direct orders not to involve her unless it was as a last resort. Korra sighed. She knew she had done a lot as an Avatar already, but she was starting to feel like she wasn't needed anymore.

She was about to return to her studio when suddenly the radio sputtered into static before a news anchor started speaking. Her eyes slowly widened with each word spoken. She looked to the clock and scowled. Asami would be leaving work right about now. She had to catch her.

* * *

Asami sighed as she sat still in the rush-hour traffic. They'd been stuck like sitting ducks for ten minutes now as police were redirecting traffic for no apparent reason. As she slowly inched forward, sudden distant thumping gained her attention. The ground began to shake and a loud uproar could be heard up ahead. People started getting out of their cars to look around. The CEO opened the door and stepped one foot on the ground as she looked over the car door. There was nothing in sight, yet the noise grew louder and stronger. Was this why the police were redirecting traffic?

Her question was soon answered when a cloud of dust appeared not far away. People started running to find refuge in nearby buildings. Asami grabbed her suitcase and followed the crowd into a hotel.

Animals quickly took over the road, tramping over cars and destroying the road. Asami watched as a pack of lion vultures stomped and picked at her precious Satomobile. She frowned. That blue one was her favorite. She had built it while Korra was gone for three years.

Her attention was drawn away again when an ostrich horse ran into the wide hotel windows and began pecking at the glass. Asami quickly retreated in surprise as she stood back with other civilians. Just as the ostrich horse was about to break the glass, a lion vulture tackled the creature and the two began fighting.

'What in the world is going on?' Asami thought to herself. 'Why are there animals everywhere?!'

The stampede of wild animals continued to run through the streets for minutes. People began staggering out of the buildings as the dust settled and the animals disappeared. Asami stepped out cautiously and saw a stray boar trying to catch up to the herd.

"Did the zoo lose all of its animals or something?" Asami wondered aloud.

She surveyed the damage done by the stampede as others slowly found their demolished vehicles. She sighed sadly and ran a hand through her hair when she found her squashed Satomobile. Whoever released all of these animals had a lot to answer for.

Someone was walking through the cars tiredly yet purposefully. Behind all of the dirt covering the person was the Avatar. Asami gasped and weaved through the crowd. "Korra?! What happened?"

Korra jumped in surprised and quickly closed the space between them. "I've been looking for you!" Asami rose a brow. Korra pouted and scratched her cheek. "Okay, I _was_ looking for you, but then the zoo animals were headed towards the industrial part of the city and I didn't want them to cause any more damage."

The CEO looked at her wife with wide eyes. "You stopped them?"

Korra chuckled and grabbed her hand. "Yeah, all I had to do was trap them with some earth walls. The zoo workers should be there shortly to rally them together."

"So they did escape from the zoo?"

Korra nodded. "Yeah, apparently someone forgot to lock up the front gate and some teenagers thought it would be funny to let all of the animals loose."

Asami scowled and glanced back at her vehicle. "Well I don't think it's funny and I think everyone here would agree with me."

Korra gasped and ran to her wife's car. "Your car!"

Asami sighed sadly. "Yeah, it got trampled on by the stampede."

Korra frowned and brushed her hand against the destroyed metal. "This one was your favorite. I'm sorry. Maybe I can metalbend it back."

Asami smiled contently and grabbed the woman's hand. "It's okay, Korra. It's not your fault. You did your best."

Korra looked away shamefully. "If I had gotten here earlier, your Satomobile wouldn't have a scratch on it."

The CEO just shrugged. "I can build a new one. I've been thinking about making some upgrades anyway."

The Avatar could tell that her wife was just saying this to make her feel better. Korra carefully gripped her hand back. "Let's go home."

* * *

Asami let Korra wind down on her own for a while after they returned home. Sometimes the Avatar needed alone time to sort through her thoughts. She seemed particularly down today.

In the meantime, the CEO spent her evening painting in one of her many offices. Asami Sato was a woman of many skills and painting was something that she learned to be a great stress reliever. Along with a glass of wine, the elegant woman was pretty content, even with the earlier disaster.

After some time, Asami ventured to the kitchen to find dinner. She found some leftover take-out and walked towards the back of the house where she knew Korra would be. She knew for sure once she heard grunts coming from the courtyard. Korra usually looked posed and content when practicing her bending, but today she seemed downtrodden.

Asami clapped to get her attention once she had finished an earthbending pose. The Avatar glanced over and returned the earth to the ground before sitting next to her wife. The pale woman handed her a box and chopsticks. "I figured you'd be hungry since you've been out here for some time now."

Korra smiled slightly and gratefully took the boxed meal. Together the couple chowed down on leftover Narook's. "What's wrong?" Asami asked after they had finished eating.

The Avatar glanced away. "I should've been able to do more today."

Asami sighed and shook her head. "I wasn't exactly talking about that, but today wasn't your fault."

Korra looked over in confusion. "Then…what are you talking about?"

The CEO swung an arm over the tan woman's shoulder and pulled her against her. "I see that you're unhappy more often. It's not because of me, is it?"

Korra's eyes went wide and she jumped. "W-what?! No! It's…" She sighed and pushed herself closer to the other. "I feel like I'm not useful anymore."

Asami gasped and hurriedly pulled the Avatar into her lap. Korra yelped and grabbed onto the woman. "Why would you say such a thing?" Asami asked sternly.

Korra began to sweat and looked away again. "It's not you. It's the city. No one needs me anymore. I…"

She was cut off by Asami tipping her chin up. "I thought it was pretty clear that I need you." She released the woman's chin as she continued to talk. "I look for you next to me in bed every morning. Even when you're not there and my heart sinks, your notes reassure me that you'll be back. When it's cold and snowy, you pull me into your arms and warm me up. When I'm stressed, just seeing you can brighten up my day. You bring me hot tea and warm it up if I don't finish it in time."

Korra began blushing as soon as the words left Asami's mouth. She sheepishly hung her head. "Those are all little things."

Asami rose a brow. "But it's those little things that keep me going. It's _you_ that keeps me going. When you left for three years, it was the thought of you coming home that kept me rebuilding the city. It's what made me build a damn statue in your name. It's you that pulls me out of my office when I haven't eaten or slept in days, sometimes literally."

Korra couldn't help but to chuckle at that. Asami smiled and wrapped her arms around her midsection. "It's your laugh and your smile that make my day."

Korra began laughing more as her wife began wiggling her fingers on her sides. Asami beamed as her tickling caused the Avatar to lose control of her laughter.

The tan woman grabbed at the other's shoulder in an attempt to stop her. "Are you…haha! Are you drunk?"

The CEO stopped momentarily and chuckled. "Why in the world would you think that?"

Korra was still giggling as she held her sides. "Because I smell the alcohol on your breath."

Asami laughed and shook her head. "I was painting and just had a glass of wine."

Asami watched amusingly as Korra seemed to think for a minute before speaking. "Can I join you?"

The pale woman rose a brow. "In painting or drinking?"

Korra laughed and pulled her wife to her feet. "In painting, silly."

"Are you sure? You usually get frustrated when you can't make the picture you have in your head."

The Avatar smiled and started pulled her back inside. "C'mon, I want to try again."

Ten minutes later, Asami was pulling out two new canvases for her and Korra to use. "What colors do you want to use?"

Korra seemed lost in thought. "Ummm…you pick for me."

Asami pouted at her before an idea struck her. "Okay, I've got a challenge for you. We each only use one color."

"What colors?"

"I think we should use _our_ colors." Asami answered. Korra knew exactly what she was talking about, but the woman explained anyway. "I'll use red and you use blue. How does that sound?"

Korra smiled. "Good. But what are we painting?"

"I told you that you can make whatever you want, but I do think you should try to get some of those negative feelings out through this." Asami answered.

Korra nodded. Both of them sat down after Asami finished setting up and the two of them went to work. After they had gotten settled into what they were doing, the Avatar spoke up quietly. "I've said it once and I'll say it again, this seems like something rich, elegant women do."

Asami smiled. "Well I am rich and elegant. Doesn't that count for something on your side?"

"Whatever you say, dear." Korra answered with her own smile.

They went quiet again, both focused on their work. Asami was content with her sunset she was painting, but Korra appeared stuck after a while. She looked over and saw the Avatar pouting with a thoughtful expression. "What's wrong?"

Korra blinked in surprise and glanced over at her wife's creation, only to gasp in shock. "You made that?! Have you been taking painting classes behind my back?"

Asami laughed and shook her head. "No, I learned the more I painted."

Korra pouted and crossed her arms. "It looks so good. Mine in nowhere near as awesome as yours."

The CEO frowned and glanced over it. "Korra, anything you create is awesome. But what do you think is wrong with yours?"

Korra scowled as she looked back up at it. It was a mass of blue, grey, and black. There were a few patterns, but most of it was mass of color. It looked pretty dark and depressing. Asami could tell her wife really let her emotions show in this.

"It feels like something is missing." Korra answered finally.

Asami blinked and scooted her chair closer. She looked it over again before a faint smile appeared on her face. She dipped her brush in new paint and hesitantly raised her paintbrush to the canvas, then glanced at her wife. "Do you mind if I…?"

Korra nodded immediately, though grateful the woman even asked first. Asami skillfully brushed white paint in an oval. Then she smudged some white underneath to create a bright blue color. She leaned back and looked at her addition happily. Korra stared at it for a minute, trying to understand.

Asami rested her head on the Avatar's shoulder. "There was too much darkness. It needed something bright for a change. The halo symbolizes pureness and innocence."

Korra's eyes slowly went wide as she realized what Asami was showing her. The paler woman cautiously turned the other to look at her. "What happened today is not your fault. You feeling guilty about it just goes to show how pure you are. You don't need to feel down about this."

Korra smiled gently and softly caressed her hand. "You're right. At least I stopped them from demolishing the business area."

Asami smiled brightly as her determination to cheer her wife up was finally starting to pay up. "Yes, you did. If you hadn't, we'd have to deal with tons of extra damage to our factories. And you're to thank for that. Cars can be fixed and rebuilt, but if our factories had gone under, that would make fixing this very hard."

Korra nodded and they sat there indulging in each other's presence before Asami spoke up again. "There's gonna be a time when the city is in danger again and you'll be the only one who can help. However, for now things are quiet and peaceful for the most part. You should enjoy it while it lasts. I know I'm happy with our life right now."

The Avatar sat there in her thoughts, taking in her wife's words. "You know, when I was reading on past Avatars, I learned about Avatar Kuruk who lived in a peaceful era. He didn't have any natural disasters or world enemies to fight. The only bad thing that happened was that he lost his wife to a spirit…" Korra paused, trying to put her words together. "What I'm trying to say is I guess I'm okay with a little peace for a while."

Asami smiled and pulled them to their feet. "Good, because I've been enjoying this peaceful era. Plus it gives us more time to be together, if you catch my drift."

Korra caught her eye as she led her to their bedroom and saw a glint of emotion in her eyes. A smile made its way onto her face and she couldn't help but laugh. She effortlessly pulled Asami into her arms and carried her the rest of the way upstairs. Asami smiled mischievously and faintly hovered her lips over the Avatar's neck. Funny, she thought, how she didn't even have to say anything most times to initiate what she wanted.


	4. Round 4 - Genres

**A/N: Submission for the Pro-bending Circuit Round 4. My genre is WESTERN.**

 **Team: Laogai Lion Vultures. Position: Earthbender.**

 **Word Count: 1725**

 **Prompts:**

 **Easy (1 point):** **(dialogue) "You're the last person I would have expected"**

 **Medium (2 points):** **(emotion) grief**

 **Hard (3 points):** **(location) The Si Wong Desert**

 **Bonus Points:**

 **Include your element in your fic. It does not have to be bent but the element must be plot-relevant - 3 points**

 **First all in between two opposing teams - 4 points**

 **Submit in the first week – 1 point**

* * *

 _"The Western Last Stand"_

The tan woman scuffed her boots on the hard earth as she drudged into town. Her vest was covered in dirt and her body was battered. It had been a long time since she stepped on this ground – three years to be precise. She had taken all of this time to heal not only physically but mentally as well. She smiled at the familiar sign of her town: Si Wong.

However, she was surprised when she walked down the middle of the street that she didn't see the same busy town that she left. It was empty, except for a few horses tied up outside of the saloon. She pulled Naga, her own horse, over and tied her to the post. As she stepped up the wooden stairs, she heard a quiet commotion inside the bar.

A few people looked up and gasped when they saw her enter the building. She saw a certain black-haired beauty sitting at the bar, paying no attention to the others around her as she sipped her wine. The bartender, sporting a dress and apron, stared shockingly at the tan cowgirl as she sat down next to the girl. The newcomer smiled at the girl behind the counter, flashing her bright teeth. "Hi Opal."

Opal stood in shock, halfway through cleaning a glass cup. "Hi Korra."

The black-haired beauty jumped up and went wide-eyed when she did, in fact, see her former lover. "Korra?!" In two seconds flat, Korra was embraced in a tight hug.

The cowgirl chuckled and returned the gesture just as fervently. "Hey there, Asami. I missed you."

A few tears escaped Asami. "Where have you been?" She cried.

The reunited couple separated but kept arm's length apart. Korra noticed the dark bags under the woman's eyes. Yet, her beauty was unparalleled to this day still, even clad in a skirt and one of Korra's old plaid shirts.

Korra began her explanation. "I know I've been gone a long time, but I can explain. I returned to my tribe like I said, but they can only do so much. Master Katara did all that she could from my accident, but some of the healing would only start after I healed mentally. So I left after a few months and spent the last year traveling across the Si Wong Desert. It took a while and a lot of fighting, but I think I finally found myself again."

Asami laid her palms on the younger girl's cheeks. "You don't have to explain it all right now. I'm just glad you're back. I need you. _We_ need you."

Korra gulped. "Is something going on here? I mean, the town was empty when I rode through."

Just as Asami opened her mouth to speak, she was cut off when the saloon doors slammed open. "Alright, where's the newbie? I saw the horse outside!"

Korra quickly whipped around to see who was talking like they owned the place and she was shocked. "Kuvira?"

The former lieutenant froze and then smiled maliciously. "Korra? You're the last person I would have expected."

Korra turned back around to her lover. "What's going on?"

Asami gulped and directed her eyes back to the younger girl. "Kuvira took over as sheriff after you left. She's let the power get to her head. It's bad, Korra."

"What about Mako and Bolin? I left _them_ in control."

At the sound of her husband's name, Opal turned away from the women. Asami sighed. "Kuvira jailed Mako over some miniscule thing. Bolin opposed her and tried to break him out, but Kuvira caught him. They've both been sitting in jail for a year now. No one's gone against Kuvira since then."

Korra saw red the moment she heard that her friends and officers were wrongly jailed. She stood purposely against the dictator. "Let them go."

Kuvira simply laughed and ordered a beer from Opal. "I will not. They opposed my authority. They're still paying for it."

"I guess it's a good thing I'm back to take my job as sheriff back." Korra responded strongly.

Kuvira side-glanced at her. "Is that what you think? I personally don't think you've recovered enough to protect this town."

"I'll prove I'm strong enough when I take you down from your pedestal."

The self-acclaimed sheriff now looked at the tan woman up front. "Is that a bet?"

Korra pulled her gloves off and roughly threw them to the floor. Everyone in the room gasped. Kuvira stared at the gloves before laughing. "You wanna throw down the gauntlet?! Let's go then!"

The older woman marched outside followed by the former sheriff. Asami ran after Korra and tugged on her shirt. "Korra, don't do this! This won't end well for either of you."

"Do you think I'm not ready either?" Korra asked roughly.

Asami gasped in astonishment. "N-No, it's just… I don't want to see you hurt again."

Korra's scowl let up and she cupped the woman's cheek before kissing her nose. "I'll be okay. Someone needs to protect this town."

Asami sighed and watched her walk into the road. "Why does it always have to be you, though?"

Korra and Kuvira stood back-to-back, then walked ten paces apart. People had wandered out of their houses to see if Kuvira would finally fall. Asami leaned nervously against the porch, wringing her hands together. Opal stood next to her with just as much anxiety.

Korra felt her throat go dry and she swallowed what little saliva was left. Surprisingly, when they turned around, neither fired their gun immediately. They stared intensely at each other. Her hand hovered over her gun at her waist, just as Kuvira did as well. They were waiting for the other to make the first move.

The tribal cowgirl saw Kuvira's finger twitched and she jumped into action. The new sheriff fired at Korra, but the younger girl had unexpectedly dodged. Everyone watching gasped, even Kuvira. Showdowns were normally just one or two shots, with one or both people dead. Why had Korra chosen not to shoot? No matter. Kuvira fired again as her opponent slid across the dirt, but she missed again.

Korra stood on one knee and aimed her gun, quickly firing into Kuvira's thigh. The tyrant fell to the earth, writhing in pain. The town went silent expect for Kuvira's yells of frustration and pain. Korra remained on one knee, gasping anxiously. She slowly rose to her feet and hesitantly approached her opponent.

Kuvira saw the cowgirl approaching her and hurriedly rose her gun defiantly. Korra paused a few feet away from her, but did nothing to stop her. The tribe woman didn't raise her gun, but simply waited to see what the other would do. Korra's calm demeanor got to the tyrant's head and she fired angrily.

Asami jumped and Opal quickly wrapped her up in her arms protectively. Tears fell down her face as quickly as it happened.

Korra smiled as she remained standing. Kuvira shook angrily, but knew her reign was over. She had fired at the former sheriff, but her body had already given up and misdirected her shot.

The tribal woman confidently continued walking to her. She rolled Kuvira over and then handcuffed her with her own cuffs. She huffed and dirt swam in the air in front of her.

The town roared in relief. Their real sheriff was back. Korra stood up to recollect herself but was suddenly ambushed by a pale body. Asami cries went from panic to relief when she saw that Korra had won. The younger woman smiled sadly and wrapped her arms around her. "It's okay, 'Sami. I'm back."

* * *

Mako and Bolin groaned when the door opened, revealing the bright Sun. They shielded their dirty faces. "Looks like our great sheriff is back." The older brother groaned sarcastically.

Both brothers jumped when a new body was thrown into the jail cell with them. Kuvira?! They simultaneously looked up and gasped. Tears dripped from Bolin's eyes. "Korra? Is that really you?"

Korra smiled and helped the boys to their feet. "That's right. Your real sheriff is back." She replied confidently.

* * *

"Drinks are on the house for the rest of the night!" Bolin cheered from atop the bar counter. The crowd cheered and raised their glasses with him. Opal smiled brilliantly over the return of her joyful husband and began preparing drinks. Mako chuckled from his seat at the counter. Bolin began speaking cheerfully again. "Our oppression is finally over! After three years, our beloved leader has returned and ended Kuvira's tyranny!" He then looked over to Korra, who was sitting at the end of the bar with her lover. "Thank you, Korra, for everything. We're so happy to have our friend back."

The bar patrons cheered happily and clinked their beers together in toast. Korra rose her glass to Bolin, simply to please the energetic man, and took a drink. As she finished swallowing, Asami cupped her cheeks and eagerly pressed their lips together. A few whoops and hollers could be heard in the background, but Korra was too involved with her girlfriend. The tribe woman set her drink down and pressed closer to the other. Asami reacted just the same and slid her hands to her neck, pulling her ever-so closer.

The couple reluctantly pulled apart when the need for air was too strong. "I missed you so much, Asami. I'll never leave you again." Korra whispered breathlessly.

Asami held her hand and leaned in close to whisper back in her ear. "How about we sneak out of here early? They don't need us to celebrate. Besides, then you can show me how much you missed me."

The pale woman leaned back and smiled at her work. Korra's eyes glazed over with unrequited lust from years of being apart. She gulped and nodded restlessly. The couple carefully disappeared through the back entrance and proceeded to Asami's home for a different type of reunion.

Mako nudged Bolin beside him and both of them chuckled as they saw the women dip from the party using the back door. "I guess it's up to us to keep the party going." Bolin said.

Mako rose a brow and laughed a little louder. "I think you're doing a fine job of that, brother. It's been three years since they've seen each other anyway. Give them their peace."


	5. Round 5 - Fairy Tales

**A/N: Submission for Round 5 of the Pro-Bending Circuit. I stayed up till 2 am writing this on my phone. I wanted to put more into the story but it was hard with the word restriction.**

 **Team: Laogai Lion Vultures. Position: EARTHBENDER.**

 **My fairytale story is Jack and the Beanstalk.**

 **Prompts:**

 **Easy - magic (word)**

 **Medium - scented candles (scent)**

 **Hard - 1234 words (restriction)**

 **Bonus Points:**

 **Include your element in your fic. It does not have to be bent but the element must be plot-relevant - 3 points**

 **First four teams in which all team-mates submit their story - 4 points**

 **First Earthbender to submit among all eight teams - 2 points**

 **Word Count: 1234 words (obviously)**

* * *

 _"Bolin and the Beanstalk"_

Mako ransacked the cabinets. He groaned as he found all empty. "We're out of food again. Bolin!"

The earthbender fell out of his slumber on the couch. "Y-Yeah?!"

"Can you go buy some groceries? I would, but I have this case going on…"

Bolin happily jumped to his feet. "Say no more, big brother! For I shall procure food for us tonight!"

Mako chuckled and ruffled his brother's hair. "Thanks bro."

* * *

Mako crossed his arms at the sight of the few groceries his brother had managed to buy. "Bolin," Mako started sternly. "What did you do with the money I gave you?"

Bolin twiddled his fingers. "Um, well, I crossed this woman who came up to me and handed me this 'magic' seed. She said it would grow a bunch of food, so I bought it from her."

The officer sighed roughly. "You actually believed that crap?! Geez, people these days…" He snatched seeds and chucked them out of the window.

"Mako! You didn't have to do that! We might've been able to get something out of it!" Bolin scolded him. Mako scoffed and went to bed.

Shark-brows woke up the next morning to his brother screaming. As his consciousness returned to him, he heard faint pounding at his door. He crawled out of bed only in his boxers. "What's going on?"

"It's – it's!" The earthbender couldn't finish his words before his brother found what was stalling him.

"Is that…?" Mako stuttered.

"It _was_ magic!" Bolin screamed. Outside of their window stood a giant green beanstalk, grazing the side of the building. Mist hovered at the bottom as the Sun began to raise.

Meanwhile, the pounding at their door grew stronger. Mako groaned and ran to the door. "I'm sorry about the giant vine, people! We'll have it taken care of soon! Please go about your normal day!" The people groaned and slowly, one-by-one, returned to their apartments. The officer sighed and returned to the window from which they could see the giant vine. "We need Korra."

* * *

Korra groaned as something rang across from her. She flipped over and threw her arm over her partner, trying to shut the alarm off. She hit the button, yet the ringing continued. She blinked an eye open and glanced around for the source of the nuisance. The house phone shook beside the alarm. The Avatar reached further over her lover and grabbed the phone, nearly dropping it.

"Sato residence…" She answered.

"KORRA!" The waterbender immediately dropped the phone. However, she could still hear her friend. "Korra! We need you here ASAP! Something spirit-y is happening! Can you hear me?!"

Korra sighed and slid over the edge of the bed to retrieve the device. "I can hear you crystal clear, Bolin. What's going on?"

"There's a-a giant vine in our backyard! It reaches the CLOUDS!"

Korra quickly removed the phone from her ear. "I don't know what's going on, but I'll be over in a little bit."

Bolin started rambling again, but Korra hung up on him. She slouched back down to go back to sleep, yet she failed to realize the position she was in.

"Korra…?"

"Hm?"

"You're crushing me."

"Gah, sorry!"

* * *

"What happened?!" Korra asked in astonishment.

"You see what happened was…" Bolin started.

However, Mako cut him off. "Long story short, he bought a magic seed and I threw it outside. We woke up to this giant vine."

"Are you sure this wasn't made by a spirit?" Korra asked.

"I'm certain this is because of that seed. It glowed! Maybe a spirit created the seed in the first place…" Mako replied.

The crew stood in quiet awe at the size of the plant. "We could…" Everyone turned to the younger brother to see what he was going to say. "We could climb it."

" _Why?_ " Mako asked.

"The plant has to have some sort of purpose. It looks like it leads somewhere." Bolin answered innocently.

They silently looked back up at the plant. "I'll go." Korra announced and immediately started climbing.

Asami gasped and ran after her. "You're not going up there by yourself!"

The brothers glanced at each other. They sighed simultaneously and followed their friends.

* * *

"What do you expect to find?" Mako hollered from below.

Bolin huffed above him. "I don't know, but it's kind of exciting, isn't it?! When's the last time all four of us went on an adventure?!"

Mako opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by a cheer from above. Korra threw herself over the side of the top petal, hauling her girlfriend on her back. Asami climbed off and looked around excitedly. "What is this?" She asked aloud in awe.

Korra looked around after catching her breath. "I never knew something like this was up here." The brothers caught up to them and gasped.

In front of them stood a castle made out of clouds. Vines wrapped around some of the more solid parts of the structure. The aroma of scented candles drew Korra in and she edged closer to the building. "Korra!" Asami hissed and chased after her. The brothers followed nonetheless. They all gasped at what they saw.

An ogre spirit was meditating in the dark, except for the candles that lit the corners of the room. He suddenly sniffed and opened his eyes abruptly. "Who's here?" He growled. The crew instantly froze in shock. The ogre slowly slid onto his feet and walked towards the exit. "Get out!" He hollered.

All of the humans ran back towards the vine. A gust of wind toppled them into the soft cloud. Bolin jumped up and tried to bend. "Gah! There's no earth up here! I can't bend!"

"Don't worry. We'll take care of it." Mako reassured his brother and slid to the Avatar's side.

However, Korra held up her hand to stop him. "I don't think he wants to hurt us."

The ogre stopped just outside of his door and eyed them. "Humans are not welcomed here."

"Does this have anything to do with living situations in the city?" Korra asked.

The ogre huffed. "Yes, I came up here to get away from the rude humans. I'm always getting kicked out."

Korra released her stance. "You're comfortable up here?"

"Hm? Yes, a little lonely but very happy."

Korra smiled after a minute of thinking. "Maybe I can help with that if you're willing."

* * *

Korra smiled as dozens of spirits roamed the cloudy plains. The ogre smiled as he watched them begin making homes out of the clouds.

"I'm leaving you in charge of this spirit home."

He looked down to the Avatar and held out his finger for her to shake. "It'll be my pleasure. I haven't had any company since my wife left me. Thank you."

"I'm just glad to be able to get some of these guys off of the streets."

* * *

Bolin was back at the market to buy food. He had been roaming through fruit when he saw a familiar shadow walk by. "Hey! Wait, lady!"

The hooded lady turned and smiled at him before she reached the crosswalk. "T-That seed you gave me… Did you know what it would do?!" Bolin asked once he caught his breath.

She simply smiled further and winked. Bolin gaped when he saw a glimpse through her illusion, which revealed the face of an ogre. She turned to walk away and disappeared with a gust of wind.


	6. Round 6 - Episodes

**Pro-bending Circuit Round 6: Episodes. My epidsode is LoK - Book 4. Episode 6 - " _The Battle of Zhaofu_ " – Korra/Kuvira fight scene**

 **Team: Laogai Lion Vultures. Position: Earthbender.**

 **Prompts:**

 **Easy: (word) _episode_**

 **Medium: _Korra_**

 **Hard: _Humor_**

 **Bonus Points:**

 **Include your element in your fic. It does not have to be bent but the element must be plot-relevant - 3 points**

 **First four teams all in - 4 points**

 **Word Count: 826**

 **More Author's Note at end...**

* * *

 _"Humor in Weakness"_

 _We're really going to see the Avatar in action! I can't believe we get to witness Kuvira take her down!_

The Great Uniter steps forward as the Avatar gets into a fighting stance. "Use whatever you want: all of the elements, the Avatar state, anything you need. I know you're a little rusty." Kuvira spoke, egging on the Avatar.

"Enough talk!" Korra replies and immediately starts shooting fire, eventually mixing in earthbending.

Our Great Uniter is too fast and easily dodges all of her attacks before firing back. As Avatar Korra hits the dirt from Kuvira's metalbending attack, we all cheer excitedly for our leader. Even Kuvira laugh and continues to goad the Avatar, who was taking her time getting back on her feet.

 _Who knew the Avatar was so weak now?! For three years I've followed Kuvira and, even though I never expected the Avatar to pick a fight with Kuvira, Avatar Korra is_ _ **nothing**_ _like I expected! My whole life I've been told grand adventures of the Avatar lineage, and for it to come to_ _ **this**_ _?_ _It's pathetic. She has to be the worst Avatar in history of Avatars. It's a joke that someone with so much power can't beat someone even as strong as Kuvira. Avatar Korra should be able to handle things like this._

Yet, Avatar Korra continues to fight and begins using the rest of the elements, trying to gain the upper hand. Our Great Uniter still easily dodges her attacks and blinds Korra with metal before earthbending her into the air.

 _How can the Avatar still get back up? Kuvira has dodged all of her moves and quickly responds with her own attacks. Avatar Korra may not be the Avatar we all expected, but she is resilient._

Korra manages to dodge a few more attacks, but Kuvira is too skilled for her now and easily overwhelms her again.

 _Why does she keep getting up? Kuvira has knocked her back so many times, yet she still continues to fight. Maybe this is her first real fight since the Red Lotus, but she's starting to really put up a fight._

Korra and Kuvira try to push the same boulder at each other, but Kuvira prevails and shatters the rock in Korra's face, throwing her back to the ground. The little airbending girls want to help, but it would break the 'truce' they have for the fight.

Avatar Korra starts to firebend, but Kuvira uses her earthbending to shift the ground at Korra's feet, thus changing the direction of the attack. Just as our Great Uniter goes in for a final attack, something amazing happens. I throw my hands in the air to shield myself, just as my comrades do as well.

 _Woah! I've never seen anything like this! Is this…?_

The Avatar's eyes begin to glow and she summons a great whirlwind to push Kuvira back.

 _Suddenly this doesn't seem like our fight anymore…_

The Avatar floats in the air on the whirlwind and conjures a giant boulder over her. She moves closer to where Kuvira landed and prepares to throw the rock, but suddenly the air shifts again.

 _What…? Why did she stop? She had all she needed to end this, but she failed! What's wrong with her?_

Korra's glowing eyes flicker and she drops to the ground. We're all astonished, but before we can think any more of it, Kuvira hops back to her feet. She uses her metalbending to hold Avatar Korra in the air, then throws her into the ground and imprisons her.

 _The look of defeat on her face… Why did she even come here?! Did she actually think she could defeat the Great Uniter?! Hah! What a joke! She shouldn't have come to fight Kuvira if she's still facing episodes of weakness… Wait. What is Kuvira doing?_

Kuvira steps up to the confined Avatar and bends sharp metal in the air. The soldiers begin to glance at one another in confusion.

 _Wait. Is she going to kill the Avatar? Why?! She's not a threat anymore! We can't actually kill the Avatar!_

Unluckily, or maybe luckily, the airbenders finally intervene, thus saving Korra. Somehow, in the deep recesses of my mind, I'm kind of glad they stopped Kuvira. I'm starting to question whether or not we're doing the right thing, but then our Great Uniter orders us to attack since the 'truce' has been broke.

We all march forward, but the airbenders are keeping us at bay with a giant whirlwind. After a few minutes, only the mecha-suits are slowly able to push through. Suddenly a giant flying bison soars through the air and dives into the whirlwind. The air disperses and our enemies fly away on the bison.

"Zaofu is ours!" Kuvira declares. We all cheer and jump in joy as we march forward to finally take Zaofu. I look back at the disappearing bison and can't help but wonder what happened to the world's protector.

* * *

 **A/N: This is much shorter than what I normally write. With school it's been nearly impossible to get spare time. I can't even put my thoughts together. Anyway, if you couldn't tell from the story, the POV was from that of one of Kuvira's soldiers. It was supposed to be a crude sense of humor.**


End file.
